County Oks $60 Million Flood Plan

Private Property May Be Bought Along River

Saying they wanted to protect Lake County's forest preserves, county officials on Friday endorsed a flood-control plan that focuses on acquiring private property along the Des Plaines River.

But even as the $60 million plan was approved by the Lake County Board, county officials warned that the plan will need federal approval along with purchase agreements.

"This is by no means a slam dunk," said County Administrator Dwight "Ike" Magalis.

"The projects are complicated," Magalis said in response to questions raised about the county's potential role in maintaining flood-control detention sites. "We have to deal with (maintenance questions) on every one of these projects."

The flood-control plan approved Friday was developed by county and state officials as an alternative to an $80 million plan proposed last October by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

County officials rejected the federal plan in January, saying it would have damaged nearly 1,000 acres of forest preserve and forced the closings of numerous public-access areas.

The county's plan, developed with the assistance of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, does use some forest preserve flood plain but keeps it to a minimum.

After studying the plan, the Army Corps is expected to conduct public hearings in the fall and then prepare a formal document that can be presented to Congress for approval.

If approved, the federal government would pick up 75 percent of the costs. The remaining 25 percent would be covered by local governments.

Five key pieces of property would be acquired under the plan, which will investigate the use of wetlands and other water-storage areas along the 33-mile Des Plaines River Trail.

The plan also calls for using the land for multipurpose community benefits, including environmental enhancements, water quality, habitat, recreation and aesthetics.